England lost a compelling opening Test by 88 runs with barely half an hour left before the light ran out. Unfortunately, the tourists' wickets ran ourt first. Disappointing to lose as England's captain Michael Vaughan observed. But there were plenty of fine things on show in a gripping match as I'm sure Angus Fraser can be easily persuaded.
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« Sri Lanka 2007: England fail but still delight fans | Main | Sri Lanka 2007: Fraser and Brenkley at the Test - The Colombo Preview » 06 December 2007CommentsVerify your CommentPreviewing your CommentThis is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
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There are times when England are awful and you want to give them when they have lost but this was not one of them. They missed opportunities but Sri Lanka played some excellent cricket in adversity.
Bell batted superbly again, as did Matthew Prior. The England keeper has his detractors, Stephen, but he had an excellent game here. It will be hard for England to get back in the series now. Colombo and Galle favour Sri Lanka more than Kandy.
Posted by: Angus Fraser | 06 December 2007 at 09:15 AM
Yes, the tourists have it all to do and it's hard to see them doing it. You mentioned Bell and he's among my favourite players in the side. His method is classical, his footwork sound, his judgement of length usually good. It's well known that I have sporting bet with colleagues that he will end up making more runs than Kevin Pietersen (and I admire him greatly as well). But what is it about Bell? Why, as he did again yesterday, does he get out so often between 70 and 100? Can he get over it?
Posted by: Stephen Brenkley | 06 December 2007 at 09:20 AM
I'm sure he can. Stephen Fleming, the former New Zealand captain, had the same problem and trying to overcome it was was one of the principle reasons why he wanted to spend a season playing county cricket.
Is it tiredness? Possibly. Some players are very highly strung when they bat and the emotion of the expperience can take it toll. Bell looks quite relaxed but is he wound up inside? Some of his innings go in fits and starts. Fatigue affects concentration and suddenly you are out. It is certainly not technique. Batting at a more consistent tempo would help.
Posted by: Angus Fraser | 06 December 2007 at 09:27 AM
Anyway, he'll be around for a ling time, but the figures remain skewed: averages of 38 away, 48 at home; 60 in the first innings, 26 in the second innings of Tests. He cares very much - maybe he needs something outside cricket - and should be wished well. Now the other man who almost saved the match for England was Matt Prior. Not everyone's cup of tea but seems to have self-belief and his 63 at Kandy was unquestionably a wonderful effort and his best innings for England. Here to stay?
Posted by: Stephen Brenkley | 06 December 2007 at 09:33 AM
It is hard to say whether Prior is here to stay. I thought he had a reasonable summer - averaging 40 with the bat - and yet there were many who said he should have gone. I think he will always be a little inconsistent - it is the way he plays. But I think he can bat and he kept very well in the first Test.
Deep down I don't believe he is as confident as he looks, but his chest will be out at the Cinnamon Grand in Colombo for the next two or three days. And good luck to him he has copped a bit of flak but come back and performed.
Hopefully the lean spell and the stick he got against India will have quietened him down. There is nothing worse than a gobby little wicket-keeper. Sorry Stephen.
Posted by: Angus Fraser | 06 December 2007 at 09:39 AM
Nothing worse for the oppo, but as you can imagine, in what passes for my pomp as a wickie, Gus, the difference between me and a church mouse was impossible to detect. The Sri Lankan keeper, by the way, Prassana Jayawaredena, was exemplary. A real, soft-handed class act. And his presence has allowed the man from whom he took over the gloves, Kumar Sangakkara, to flourish even more as a batsman. He thoroughly deserved his match award and was the difference between the sides even more than you now who.
Posted by: Stephen Brenkley | 06 December 2007 at 09:44 AM
Actually, keepers do have to be noisy and lively because they set the tone for the fielding side. It is their job to keep the fielders on their toes. It is when they start heckling the opposition that I get irate.
Prassana looks a class act, as good as anything we have seen in international cricket for quite some time. He can bat too. Sangakkara was magnificent, what a player, and quite a man too. Relieving him of the gloves was an inspired decision. He averages 96 in 22 Tests when he does not keep wicket, 41 when he does. How are England going to get him out in the next two Tests, especially without Matthew Hoggard, who looks knackered to me.
Posted by: Angus Fraser | 06 December 2007 at 09:51 AM
Bad news about Hoggard. Can't see him getting over his back injury.It's Broad or Harmison, and maybe that's no bad thing in terms of a bit of variety in the seam department. Both get a bit of bounce if the Colombo pitch allows it. At least, England played Murali pretty well second time around, and don't forget they'e come back on the sub-continent before. Maybe we can assess their prospects tomorrow when we have a clearer idea of who'll pitch up.
Posted by: Stephen Brenkley | 06 December 2007 at 09:55 AM
England did play Murali well. I wonder whether the emotion of passing Warne on the third day took its toll because he looked flat. There again he is not going to bowl like a genius every day.
Should the selection of Broad or Harmison depend on the make-up of England's side in Colombo, which could be two seamers and two spinners, or should one of them play anyway ahead of Anderson?
From our position in Kandy we could see Broad and Harmison bowling each lunchtime and Broad was far more impressive than his senior partner. Harmison was still all over the place, falling away and bowling with little control. It is sad because he can be such a fine bowler. If only he had Glenn McGrath's head on his body. Then we would have a superstar?
Posted by: Angus Fraser | 06 December 2007 at 10:02 AM
Sorry for the delay. Summoned to a press call with Matthew Prior who took us through his near-heroics of the previous day. He sounded bullish, but then that is in his make-up. The news of Hoggard is that he woke up marginally better than he had been the previous day. Which is good. But he is still rated as extremely doubtful for the Second Test. Which is bad. Kevin Pietersen continues to fight through the pain of his broken little finger. And certainly no news on whether Harmison or Broad would be preferred. Harmison out of form but Broad yet to play a Test. Tough selectorial call.
Posted by: Stephen Brenkley | 06 December 2007 at 11:37 AM